Dig Up the Bones
by Zenappa
Summary: A Pepperony one-shot inspired by the song Bones by MS MR. Tony has everything he needs to be happy, but the doubts overpower the joy that he's supposed to feel. Only reflections can heal the internal wounds.


Because I'm sick and bored out of my mind, I decided to write a quick little one-shot. Yeah, I know…. I've been watching Game of Thrones all morning and I absolutely love the song from the Season 3 trailer. So yeah, that happened, and I've been super stoked about the Iron Man 3 trailer that came out last week. Sooooo…. with a combo of both of those, a story was bound to emerge. Enjoy and don't forget to review! :3 Love you all! Oh and a special thanks to my beta **A Pirate By Any Other Name**!

I don't own Iron Man or the Avengers, Marvel already claimed all of that :(

**Dig Up the Bones**

"I'm Tony Stark. I build big stuff, I got a great girl, occasionally save the world. So why can't I sleep?"

The nightmares plagued him at night, replaying the events of the attack on New York over and over in his mind. There were so many innocent people who died, people that shouldn't have died for a simple cause. No matter how many times he tried to convince himself that it wasn't his fault, he knew deep down that it was. It always came down to that. He tried rolling over and thinking of happier thoughts, but there were none. Even the single person lying beside him didn't help anymore. She was involved too now.

The dreams weren't just memories anymore. Everywhere he turned on the battlefield, instead of strangers' faces, he only saw Pepper. That was simply it. There was no one else he could bear to lose other than her. She was her life and he refused to let anyone take her from him.

_Dig up her bones, but leave the soul alone. Boy with a broken soul, heart with a gaping hole._

Tony didn't want to close his eyes anymore and let sleep overtake him because he knew what would happen if he did. He couldn't afford it anymore, there was absolutely nothing left. Both of their souls were gone, both of their minds were missing pieces, it only seemed right that they should be together. But his heart was different. Contrary to others' beliefs, he did have a heart. A strong one. A weak one. Suddenly, he wasn't too sure anymore. He felt like there was a hole struck right through the middle of his chest, a hole that was constantly calling out for his other half. And he couldn't do a thing about it.

_Dark twisted fantasy turned to reality, kissing death and losing my breath._

Whatever this warped reality was, Tony didn't have any choice anymore. He was playing along with whatever others forced him to do; there was nothing he could any longer to protect himself. It was all about her. He faced death almost every day and yet, it seemed like second nature to him now. He almost wished for it to happen again so he could laugh in its face and - and what exactly would he do? Nothing. Once again, he would be helpless to stop the terror as it took him over.

_Midnight hours, cobble street passages, forgotten savages, forgotten savages._

Those late night missions that he would return from, he never was sure if she would be there waiting for him when he would return. Thoughts and buzzy annoyances continued to throb in his mind all the while home to wherever they would be together for the night. What if someone had gotten to her first? What if she had enough and left? What if she was dead? What if - They never stopped. They never ended. Even when he saw her peaceful face, he always wondered what was happening inside that beautiful little head of hers. Was she constantly thinking terrible things? The questions never ceased.

He felt like an outsider, a savage within his own home. He felt violated. He felt - nothing. There was nothing there that was pushing him onwards anymore. So why was he still doing this?

_Dig up her bones but leave the soul alone. Let her find a way to a better place._

Tony was always on guard, watching and wondering. But she always knew where to find him. No matter how much he told himself that he was better off alone, she always came back to him. There were no words necessary, there were no emotions openly displayed, the silence was enough for them. He knew she would be better off without him; she would be safer with someone else. He even tried to convince Pepper herself of this fact a few times, but every time, after a well deserved slap to the face, his mind was changed by the woman in charge. She was happy here, she argued time and time again, and no place else would make her feel safer. He was still not persuaded otherwise.

_Broken dreams and silent screams, empty churches with soulless curses, we found a way to escape the day._

She was, in fact, his saving grace, not that he would ever admit that. She was the one who comforted him when he woke up in the night after a nightmare, drenched in cold sweat and screaming inwardly. There was something seriously wrong with him. He tried everything, but his soul was cursed for eternity so it seemed. There was no hope left. Except for her. She was the last chance.

_Dig up her bones but leave the soul alone, lost in the pages of self-made cages._

Whatever had possessed Tony in this way, it was all his fault. There was no turning back, there was no room for regret, just guilt. That had to be at the bottom of it all, no doubt, but still there nonetheless. The confidence that he pretended to carry throughout the day disappeared at night when the dreams came out to play, and through it all, she was there for him until he closed his eyes. That's when the visions of Pepper broken came out to play. She was always present, oh yes, but that is exactly what Tony feared. She was the one thing he had left, and he could not lose her.

"Things are different now. I have to protect the one thing that I can't live without, and that's you."

Oh yes, he could not afford to lose her.

_Life slips away and the ghosts come to play._

It was tough to watch the one person you love lose everything. It was even tougher, not knowing whether it was real or yet another dream. The aura that always surrounded Tony now was growing stronger and harder to break through. He never knew what was coming next until it was too late. There was no hope left for him, but not for Pepper. He had to save her from the internal demons before they snatched her too.

_These are hard times for dreamers and love lost believers._

As the nightmares slowly morphed into a twisted form of reality, Tony began to realize what his problem was. His problem, and only solution, was emotions. He was always devoid of them before, but now that he had succumbed, he was becoming weaker and more vulnerable. But would he turn back? Would he change anything? The questions returned, plaguing his brain deeper and deeper with each sting of a result. He learned how to love, and that meant everything. No, he wouldn't change a thing. He would not become lost in love like so many before him. He would never go back.

_Man-made madness and the romance of sadness._

When he awoke to the new cruel reality that surrounded him, the pain slowly began to finally ebb away. And it was all thanks to Pepper. This madness was created by him, and it had to be stopped by him. That was the only solution. He had to push her away no matter how much it hurt; time could only heal wounds and it would seem time they would need. Tony had to protect her at all costs and this could be the only way. Love had gotten in the way again. This needed to be stopped, no matter what the cost. No matter how much it hurt, he had to do what he had to do.

_A beautiful dance that happened by chance._

Fate had drawn the two of them together and it would seem to tear them apart. Time had whisked by so quickly whenever they were close, and nothing else seemed to matter. But Tony had to realize that he couldn't afford to lose her and he wasn't doing a great job of protecting her. Could she really take care of herself? Was the solution that simple? They were destined to be together. Pepper didn't seem to believe Tony when he told her his reasoning, and she didn't care. To be honest, they were both safer when they were together. Anyone could see that, and anyone could believe that.

Whenever she was around, his soul felt right. Everything was completely connected and whole, and he couldn't feel this way around anyone else. It was only Pepper, it was always Pepper, and they would be together until the end of time. Forever and always. No matter what the fates said, no matter if they happened by chance, no matter what happened to them, they had each other… and that was enough.

_Happened by chance. Happened by chance. _

"You are my everything. You're all I have."


End file.
